Advent Netbook Broken Screen - Help!!!

[jamie22]

Hey, a friend of mine purchased a laptop for his girlfriend, for christmas, upon opening the gift yesterday, it had a cracked screen, with a slight chip mark on the top right corner of the casing of the laptop.

 

The laptop was taken back first thing this morning, however, the store manager refused to take it back or refund or replace it. Saying that it had been dropped, which it hadnt, the laptop was only opened yesterday and never switched on, the minute it was opened he spotted it was cracked.

 

My friend has wrote a letter to the head office, and a copy has been sent to trading standards.

 

Where does he stand? He bought it on the 20th of this month, and couldnt believe his eyes when it was opened, and was shocked even more when pc world refused to take it back, or just replace it.

 

He has contacted pc performance who are collecting it for repair on tuesday, but that takes two weeks and has a funny feeling that they are eventually going to turn around and say they wont cover it, from what he has read about them.

 

What is his rights and what is the law so he can either get his money back or a replacement.

 

Right now he wants a refund due to the way they have handled it.

 

 

EDIT:

 

Whats even funnier, is that when everyone was openeing presents he had it on video camera (recording christmas morning), when she took the laptop out, looked at it, and noticed it was broken.

Edited December 26, 2008 by jamie22

[Renzokuken]

As far as I'm aware, it's up to the company to prove that any "accidental" damage was infact accidental within 6 months of purchase.

 

But so long as the video shows her opening the seal on the box, just take the camera in and show the manager her finding it cracked. Although they may argue that the box was struck in some way causing the screen to crack. You could just argue, that the same is far more likely to have occured in transit to the store on the truck, or in the warehouse, and the protective packaging in either case must be insufficant.

 

But not many people would argue if your video shows her opening the seal and finding it cracked.

 

I do understand that a christmas day video is personal, so I'd understand if he doesn't want to show it, but it's pretty much a fast track to a favorable result, and saves alot of hassle. The DSG stance on broken screens tends to be, that it's always accidental damage until proven otherwise. This is implyed during training (but never actualy told) to all customer service staff.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Renzokuken

[curofone]

Have to agree with Renzokuken for once (should make him happy ). The machine is faulty and therefore you are well with in your rights to claim your money back or get a replacement. There is no way this much should have been booked in for an uplift and the person in the call centre should never of done so, just becuase the store manager is refusing the refund does not mean they should have booked it in.

 

Seriously if you have a video of the present being opened just show it to the store will save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. Whatever you do i would not let the machine go away for repair as chance it will get sent back unrepaired and then the 30day policy the store have probably would have expiered and you have even more fun and games trying to get what you want.

[dx100uk]

it matters not it was in a sale or WHY

the item is damaged, and you can get a full refund regsrdless of what the manager says.

he's just pulling the wool.

 

go back in and re state your problem, if he does not comply, contact his area manager info should be on the net

 

dx

[Renzokuken]

Oh and just for the record, even our company policy states that any faulty items returned within 28 days are exchanged or refunded, and not repaired.